Sport

Not a ‘single’ medal from Malaysian bowlers at world youths

Malaysian bowler Timmy Tan finished 31st overall in the singles event of the World Youth Championships in Homg Kong on Saturday. - Filepic

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s target of winning a medal in every event at the World Youth Championships fell apart at the seams as the bowlers failed to progress beyond the singles semi-finals.

Elite bowlers Timmy Tan and Jonathan Ding Sagan had looked promising in the beginning of the boys’ Squad D’s qualifying session but fizzled out at the SCAA Bowling Centre on Saturday.

Timmy had a brilliant opening three games, bowling lines of 255-226-252 to occupy top spot. He, however, stumbled in the fourth game after knocking down 193 pins. It went further downhill for him as he could only manage 151 in the next game. In the last game, he accumulated 193 pins for a 1,270 total to finish 10th in his squad and 31st overall.

Like Timmy, Jonathan also had a good start but faded into oblivion. Jonathan finished one pin and one spot ahead of Timmy after lines of 215-234-259-197-172-194.

“We had our chances, but the bowlers failed to capitalise on it. The lanes dried up pretty fast in the fourth game and our bowlers succumbed to the conditions,” bemoaned team manager Cheah Ban Cheng.

Rafiq Ismail, who accumulated a 1,371 total to occupy third place in Squad A on Friday, was the best-placed Malaysian. He finished seventh out of 166 participants. Ahmad Muaz Fishol, also in the same squad as Rafiq, was placed 13th with his 1,328 total.

South Korea’s Choi Woo-sub clinched the gold after he beat Hong Kong’s Michael Mak 226-217 in the final. Beaten semi-finalists American Wesley Low and Sweden’s Jesper Swensen took the bronze.